DBQ)
Treaty(1991
TheFightOvertheVersailles
Introduction:
George
Almostassoonashestepped
off theU.S.S.
lVashington,
theshipthathadbroughthimto Europefor
conference
thepeace
at theendof theGreatWar,PresidentWoodrow
Wilsonwasthecenter
of attentionthere.
crowds
linedthestreets
Cheering
andcalledhisname
fromFrance,
asherodeto meetwithhiscounterparts
- Georges
Britain,andItaly.Thoseleaders
Clemenceau
of France,
DavidLloydGeorge
of Britain,andVittorio
Orlandoof Italy- wereles enthusiastic
aboutWilson
that
andhisself-proclaimed
mision.Wilsonhadclaimed
Americaentered
thewarto"maketheworldsafefor
democracy;"
theGreatWarhadto bethe"war to end
war."Clemenceau,
LloydGeorge,
and0rlando,on the
otherhand,madeno bones
aboutthefactthattheyhad
nationalinterests
to protect(andprevious
commitments
thattheyexpected
theothers
to honor).Clemenceau
scofled
atWilson's
idealistic
Himselfhad
l4 Points:"God
onlyten!"
professor,
Wilson,a formerPrinceton
wasno ivory
towerscholar.
Hedid notexpect
of
therepresentatives
European
nationsthathadlosta generation
of young
menon thebattlefields
hisvision.
share
to immediately
Hebroughtwithhimanarmyof researchers
andwriters
to helpin thepersuading,
andhekneweventhenthathe
wouldhaveto compromise.
Whenit wasfinallydrafted,
thetreatycontained
manyitemsthatWilsonwouldhave
preferred
to leave
and
out,suchasthe"warguilt"clause
payments
theimposition
Butthe
of reparations
onGermany.
treatydidcontainprovisions
and
lor theLeague
of Nations,
that,hebelieved,
madeit worthfightingfor.
President
Wilsonwasmoresurprised
by the
heencountered
opposition
Whenhebrought
at home.
it wasattacked
fromall
thetreatybackto theSenate,
Foreign
Leading
theopposition
wasSenate
sides.
HenryCabotLodgeof
Relations
Committee
Chairman
who
notedthathehadl4
Masachusetts, sarcastically
Reservations
to thetreaty.But therewereothers,many
who
with viewsdramatically
diflerentfromLodge's,
to thetreatytoo.Disappointed
objected
andalarmed,
to thepeoplelatein thesummer
Wilsontookhiscase
thecountry
of 1919,traveling
byrail andurgingthe
populace
to putpressure
on theirsenators
to votefor
In theprocess,
heexhausted
thetreatyandtheLeague.
Latein September,
himself.
hecollapsed,
thevictimof
a masivestroke.
Fortherestof hispresidency,
Wilsonwasphysically
disabled,
virtuallywithoutcommunication
in theWhite
House,
ashiswifescreened
all messages
andvisitors.Yet
thedebate
overthetreatywenton.It wasvotedon three
andneverreceived
enoughvotesto
timesby theSenate
join
pass.The
UnitedStates
neyerdid
theLeague
of
peace
Anda separate
Nations.
with Germany
wasfinally
ratifiedbytheSnateduringthepresidency
of Wilson's
Warren
successor,
G.Harding.
havemarveled
thatthe
. Lookingback,historians
stayed
treatyfailedandtheUnitedStates
out of the
League,
because
it is clearthatmostpeople(andmost
lavored
in some
senators)
thetreatyandtheLeague
"Who
killed
form.Andso,logically,
theyhaveasked,
Wilson?
Lodge?
Republicans?
Democrats?
the treaty?"
Reservationists?
Internationalists?
As
Irreconcilables?
"Roundup
in themovieCasoblancc,
ClaudeRainssays
theusualsuspects."Now,
it is up to thestudentto decide.
IBI
The College Board
Advanced PlacementExamination
I.INTTEDSTATESHISTORY
SECTION U
(Suggestedwriting time--40 minutes)
Directions: The following question requiresyou to constructa coherentessaythat integratesyour
interpretation of DocumentsA-I and your knowledge of the period referredto in the question. High
scoreswill be earned only by essaysthat both cite key piecesof evidencefrom the documents and
draw on outside knowledge of the period.
1. It was the strength of the opposition forces,both liberal and conservative,rather than the
ineptitude and stubbornnessof PresidentWilson that led to the Senatedefeatof the Tieaty
of Versailles.
Using the documents and your knowledge of the period 7917-1921,
assessthe validi W of
this statement.
Document A
Source: William Borah, Speech in United StatesSenate,December 6,1978.
The first proposition connected with the proposed league is that of a tribunal to settle the matters of
controversy which may arise between the different nations.
Will anyone advocate that those matters which are of vital importance to our people shall be submitted to a tribunal created other than by our own people and give it an international arrny subject to
its direction and control to enforce its decrees? I doubt if anyone will advocate that. . . . If you do not
do so, Mr. President, what will your league amount to? . . .
ln its last analysis the proposition is force to destroy force, conflict to prevent conflict, militarism to
destroy militarism, war to prevent war. ln its last analysis it must be that if it has any sanction
behind its judgment at all. There is where the difficulty lies. . . .
Copyright e 1991by EducationalTestingService,Princeton,NJ.All rightsreserved.
182
799IW*''ffi
Document B
Source: The New Republic,Muy 24,1g1lg.
Liberals all over the world have hoped that a war, which was so clearly the fruit of competition and
imperialist and class-bound nationalism, would end in a peace which would moralize nationalism
by releasing it from class bondage and exclusive ambitions. The Tiealy of Versailles does riLoteven
tiy to satisfy these aspirations. lnstead of expressing a great recuPerative effort of the conscience of
civilization, which foi its own sins has sweated so much blood, it does much to intensify and
nothing to heal the old and ugly dissensions.
Document C
r 5, 1979.
Source:Woodrow Wilson, Speech,Septembe
When you read Article X, therefore,you will seethat it is nothing but the inevitable,logical center of
the whole system of the Covenant of the Leagueof Nations, and I stand for it absolutely.If it should
ever in anyimportant respectbe impaired, I would feel like asking the Secretaryof War to get the
boys who went acrossthe water to fight, . . . and I would stand up before them and say,Boys, I told
you before you went acrossthe seasthat this was a war againstwars, and I did my best to fulfill the
promise, but I am obliged to come to you in mortification and shameand say I havenot been able to
?uUill the promise. You are betrayed.You have fought for something that you did not get.
Document D
Source: Herbert Hoover to Woodrow Wilson, November 79,1979.
I take the liberty of urging upon you the desirability of accepting the reservations now Passed. . . I have the belief that with the League once in motion it can within itself and from experience and
pubtic education develop such measures as will make it effective. I am impressed with the desperate
necessity of early ratification.
The delays have already seriousiv imperiled the economic recuperation of Europe. In this we are
vitally interested from every point of view. I believe that the Covenant will steadily lose ground
in popular support if it is not put into constructive operation at once because the American public
wiil not appreciate the saving values of the Covenant as distinguished from the wrongs imposed in
theTieaty....
183
1991trsi$."$
Document E
Source: Reprinted by permission: Tribune Media Services.
CAi
lt AXY t{lt{
.1,1ow J05{
<rU5t,
(4AY
v(t{Y <*tY
do'( LAYrf ULLY 8t
JOr*€D <o€t<ntt,
Lt{ t\rm How
a9tAt<,-
Document F
of the Peace,7920.
Source: John Maynard Keynes, EconomicConsequences
According to [the French] vision of the future, European history is to be a perpetual prize-fight,
of which France has won this round, but of which this round is certainlv not the last. . . . For
Clemenceau made no pretense of considering himself bound by the Fourteen Points and left chiefly
to others such concoctions as were necessaryfrom time to time to save the scruples or the face of the
President [Wilson].
. . . . The policv of reducing Germanv to servih:de for a generation, of degrading the lives of millions
of human beings, and of depriving a whole nation of happiness should be abhorrent and detestable,-abhorrent and detestable,even if it lvere possible,even if it enriched ourselves,even if it did
not sow the decay oi the whole civilized life of Europe.
I81
1997
Document G
october 3,7920'
source: woodrow wilson, "Appeal to the Countrv"
..'
This election is to be a genuine national referenduln.
and
Do you want your country's honor vindicated
The chief question that is put to you is, of course:
upproyg gr the League of Nations as organized
the Treaty of versailles ratified? bo yo., in particulu,
to seeih" ur,it"d states play its responsible part
and empowered in that treaty? And do you w.ish
init?...
to lead
thought of America as the light of the world as created
[The founders of the Government]
the
light
'
This
'
'
nations'
free
of
righti
and the
the world in the assertion or tn" rights o"fpeopl"s
opponents of the League would quench'
.
DocumentH
Crisis,March, 1921'
source:w.E.B. Du Bois,"The Leagueof Nations,"
mulatto and colored goverrunentof the world'
Forty-one nations, including nearry every fegro and
the League-ofNations. This is the most forwardhave met in Genevaand form"d tn" assembryof
*uy ii which the stubbornnessof woodrow
looking event of the century. Becauseof the idiotic
becameinvolved, the united stateswas not
wilson and the poritical foit.rnes of the Repubricans
join and join on the terms which
represented.But despite its tumult and shouting thisnatiol.tt Tt
can dictate i"t*s to the world or stay out of
the world lays do*n. The idea that we single-hlnded
the World, ii an idea bom of the folly of fools'
Document I
Wnr' 1922'
Source: Jane Addams , Penceand Breadin time of
of opiniol it't every group' The woman's Peace
The League of Nations afforded a wide difference
Branches fairly
party held its annual meeting in Chicago in the springof 19?0 and found our
*ur ljmited always as to the existing League
divided upon the subject. . . . The diffeience or opinio-n
nled for continued effort to bring about an adequate
and. never for a moment did anyone doubt the
interna tional organization.
END OF 1991DBQ DOCUMENTS
lBs